Happy New Year VOL. 5, No. 1

Sponsored by:

Bay Mills Resort and Casino/Wild Bluff-Brimley
Web: http://www.4baymills.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2003shows/show11/index.html

Treetops: Great Golf and Great Skiing
Web: http://treetops.com
Video: Rick Smith and The Big Break II Now on the Golf Channel Tuesdays/9:00 PM
http://thegolfchannel.com

17th Annual West Michigan Golf Show at Devos Place, February 4-6
Web: http://westmichigangolfshow.com

Lansing Golf Show, The Lansing Center, February 25-27
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com

Michigan Golf Show, Novi Expo, March 11-13
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show1/index.html

Edited by Art McCafferty-Publisher, Michigan Golfer

__/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/
__/ TOP TEN MICHIGAN GOLF STORIES OF 2005
__/ TOP TEN REASONS WHY GOLF IS BETTER THAN SEX
__/ TOP TEN MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION SHOWS
__/ TOP TEN GOLF MOVIES OF ALL TIME
__/ TOP TEN GOLF PUTTING BOOKS
__/ TOP TEN GOLF COURSES U.S.
__/ TOP TEN CHOKES OF ALL TIME
__. TOP TEN NATIONAL STORIES IN GOLF FOR 2004
__/ MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION
__/ HITTING THE LINKS
__/ BROADBAND UP PRICES DOWN
__/ HITTING THE LINKS
__/ CALENDAR OF GOLF EVENTS
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS
__/ ASSOCIATION LINKS

***
TOP TEN MICHIGAN GOLF STORIES OF 2004
The Ryder Cup
The eyes of the world were on our state. Kudos around for
all those that made it possible.

The Turning Point: The Arnold Palmer Invitational Tournament
50 years after winning the U.S. Amateur at the Country Club
of Detroit, Arnold Palmer returned to host an unforgettable event.

Ken Devine's Last Hurrah
Ken Devine has had a great run in the golf world, and there
are still some extra holes. However, his help in turning around
a near bankrupt Michigan Section PGA, was one of his great
accomplishments.

Timberstone Golf Course
Jerry Matthews provided a capstone for his most prolific career,
by designing Timberstone GC. Timberstone was rated by Golf Digest
as one of 17 U.S. courses you needed to play before you meet your
final bunker. Timberstone also became the Michigan Golf Course
Owners Association Course of the Year.

Michigan's Power Foursome:Rick Smith, Treetops, Mickelson and
the Ford Motor Company
Rick Smith has put together a powerful foursome. He headed up
a group of former Ford executives to buy Treetops from the Melling
family. His coaching ability drew the attention of Phil Mickelson
and the two have been tighter than a Sam Snead wallet. Finally,
Smith's success with the Big Break Series, has made him a television
star.

Michigan Golf Weekly
Jeff Lesson and Janina Jacobs Parrot have brought Michigan golf
back to the Michigan television screen. Janina indicated that they
have been renewed for another year.

Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore, won it all in 2004 and experienced two of his great
moments in Michigan. He won the Western Amateur and then joined
Arnold Palmer on the Turning Point Country Club of Detroit dias, as
the newest U.S. Amateur Champion.

The Golf Recession Continues
Rounds were down, golf courses sold for development, foreclosures
increased, discounted golf was everywhere and the end of the Farmer's
Charity Golf Classic were all a part of a painful financial
downsizing of the sport.

Bart Lower on Big Break II
Bart Lower came out of nowhere to become a media sensation with his
appearance on the Big Break II Show. Bart, an EMU graduate and member
of their golf team, missed out on the final show with Big Break, but
caught the viewers attention and was voted on the next edition, Big
Break IV. Bart owns a golf driving range in Ionia, but his celebrity
has landed him a job with Pulte Homes in Naples, Florida.

Pohl, Crosby, Hiestand, Sryon and Saylor elected to Michigan Golf Hall
of Fame.
One of Michigan's greatest classes entered the Michigan Hall of Fame at
ceremonies at Indianwood this past year. They join a Hall of Fame that is
one to be envied by other states.

***
TOP 10 REASONS WHY GOLF IS BETTER THAN SEX-DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW
#10 - A below par performance is considered good.
#9 - You can stop in the middle and have a cheeseburger and a couple
of beers.
#8 - It's much easier to find the sweet spot.
#7 - Foursomes are encouraged.
#6 - You can still make money doing it as a senior.
#5 - Three times a day is possible.
#4 - Your partner doesn't hire a lawyer if you do it with someone else.
#3 - If you live in Florida, you can do it every day.
#2 - You don't have to cuddle with your partner when you're finished.


and best of all................

#1 - If your equipment gets old and rusty, you can replace it.

***
TOP TEN MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION SHOWS
2004 was the fourth year of the Michigan Golfer Television Show
http://michigangolfer.tv being on the web.
The following shows were the most viewed during the year.

Michigan and the Ryder Cup
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/ryder/index.html
A Tribute to Jack Saylor
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/saylor/
Tom Bendelow: The Forgotten Architect
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show26/index.html
A Sneak Preview Of Sundance Golf Course With Jerry Matthews
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show24/index.html
Dave Hill's Ryder Cup Memories
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/davehill/index.html
The Jeff Daniels Golf Comedy Jam
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show22/index.html
The Governor Visits Thunder Bay Resort
http://michigantravel.tv/2004thunderbay/index.html
Bay Mills Open Players Tournament
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/baymillsopen/index.html
Ken Devine :The Last Hurrah
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show16/index.html
Mike Tirico at the GAM
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show11/index.html

***
TOP TEN GOLF MOVIES OF ALL TIME
"Tin Cup"
"Dead Solid Perfect"
"Happy Gilmore"
"Follow the Sun"
"Caddyshack"
"The Legend of Bagger Vance"
"Bobby Jones - Stroke of Genius"
"Dorf's Golf Bible"
"Pat and Mike"
"Goldfinger"

Source: Brent Kelley

***
TOP TEN GOLF PUTTING BOOKS
1.Lights-Out Putting : A Mind, Body, and Soul Approach to Golf's
Game Within the Game
by Todd Sones, David DeNunzio
2.Dave Stockton's Putt to Win: Secrets for Mastering the Other
Game of Golf
by Dave Stockton
3.The Art and Science of Putting
by Rik Degunther
4.The Master of Putting
by George Low, Al Barkow
5.The Mental Art of Putting: Using Your Mind to Putt Your Best:
The Psychology of Great Putting
by Patrick J. Cohn Ph.D., Robert K. Winters
6.The Putter's Pocket Companion
by Jim McLean, Fran, Dr. Pirozzolo
7.Dave Pelz's Putting Bible
by Dave Pelz
8.The Secret of Holing Putts
by Horton Smith, Dawson Taylor
9.Precision Putting
by James A. Frank, et al
10.See It and Sink It : Mastering Putting Through Peak Visual
Peformance
by Craig L. Farnsworth
Source: Amazon's Listmania

***
TOP TEN GOLF COURSES U.S.
1. PINE VALLEY G.C. 6,699 70 71.33
Pine Valley, N.J.-- George Crump & H.S. Colt (1918)
2. AUGUSTA NATIONAL G.C. 7,290 72 71.14
Augusta, Ga.-- Alister Mackenzie & Bobby Jones (1933)
3. CYPRESS POINT CLUB 6,524 72 69.85
Pebble Beach, Calif. -- Alister Mackenzie & Robert
Hunter (1928)
4. OAKMONT C.C. 7,230 71 69.84
Oakmont, Pa. -- Henry Fownes (1903)
5. PEBBLE BEACH G. LINKS 6,737 72 69.78
Pebble Beach, Calif.-- Jack Neville & Douglas
Grant (1919)
6. SHINNECOCK HILLS G.C. 6,813 70 69.76
Southampton, N.Y. -- William Flynn (1931)
7. MERION G.C. (East) 6,482 70 68.96
Ardmore, Pa. -- Hugh Wilson (1912)
8. OAKLAND HILLS C.C. (South) 7,105 72 66.89
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. --- D. Ross (1918)/R.T.
Jones (1950)
9. WINGED FOOT G.C. (West) 6,956 72 66.76
Mamaroneck, N.Y. -- A.W. Tillinghast (1923)
10. OAK HILL C.C. (East) 7,145 71 66.13
Rochester, N.Y. -- Donald Ross (1925)

SOURCE: Golf Digest http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/americasgreatest/

***
TOP TEN CHOKES OF ALL TIME
10. T.C. Chen, 1985 U.S. Open. Blew all four strokes of the lead
with a quadruple bogey on the fifth hole of the final round, including
a penalty for a double hit, and lost by one.

9. Ken Venturi, 1956 Masters. Shot a closing 80 to lose by one
attempting to become the only amateur to win The Masters.

8. Patty Sheehan, 1990 U.S. Women's Open. Wasted a nine-stroke
lead over the last 27 holes.

7. Retief Goosen, 2001 U.S. Open. Three-putted from 12 feet on
the 72nd hole to slip into a playoff.

6. Sam Snead, 1939 U.S. Open. Gambled on the final hole not
knowing he only needed a par to win. Made triple bogey.

5. Scott Hoch, 1989 Masters. Missed a two-foot putt for victory
on the first playoff hole.

4. Arnold Palmer, 1961 Masters. A double bogey on the 72nd hole
turned a one-stroke win into a one-stroke loss.

3. Jean Van de Velde, 1999 British Open. Needed a double bogey to
win on the 72nd hole, but made a triple.

2. Doug Sanders, 1970 British Open. A miss from three feet on the
72nd hole dropped him into a playoff with Jack Nicklaus, which he lost.

1. Greg Norman, 1996 Masters. Shot a 78 to become the only player
to blow a six-stroke lead after 54 holes in a major.
Golf Digest Editors http://www.successclinic.com/topgolfchokes.html

***
TOP TEN NATIONAL STORIES IN GOLF FOR 2004
From Brent Kelley,

10. U.S. Curtis Cup team heralds the future of women's golf
These girls are good. Teen sensations Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer
and Jane Park headlined the U.S. Curtis Cup team in 2004, when the U.S.
defeated Great Britain and Ireland for its only team championship of
the year. These three may be the "Great Triumvirate" of women's golf,
especially women's golf in the U.S., for a couple decades to come.

9. John Daly gets first win in nine years
John Daly had spent a few years in the wilderness, battling through
a fog of excess drinking, marital difficulties and poor play. He'd
gotten the shakes so bad on the golf course that he had to withdraw
from more than one tournament; he simply walked away from several other
tournaments. But the beginning of 2004 showed that Daly was working on
getting his life back in order. And his game sure showed the signs of that
work when he won the Buick Invitational. It was Daly's first win in nearly
nine years, and it came in style with Daly holding off several challengers -
and whisking along a throng of jubilant fans - down the stretch. Long John
is one of the most popular golfers in the world, and 2004 was his best season
in a very long time.

8. Major championship venues inspire awe, anger
The would be awe for Whistling Straits, anger for Shinnecock Hills.
Shinnecock is regarded by most as one of the top five or so golf courses
in the world. The players couldn't wait to get there for the 2004 U.S.
Open. And the course didn't disappoint during the first two rounds. But
some questionable greenskeeping and course setup decisions, combined with
an unexpected change in the wind that dried out the course, created a monster
for the final two rounds. By Sunday, much of the grass was dead, many of the
scores were in the 80s, and practically nobody except winner Retief Goosen
was happy.

Whistling Straits was a different story entirely. Players showed up for
the PGA Championship not knowing what to expect from a course that was only
several years old and that most of them had never seen. There were whispers
of concern over the first few days of practice - was the course too tough?
Too unusual? But by the time the tournament was finished, most golfers - and
likely all golf fans - were talking eagerly about returning to Whistling
Straits again and again.

7. David Duval returns to the PGA Tour
Duval was the last golfer prior to Tiger Woods' stranglehold on the
position to have the No. 1 world ranking. Then his game disappeared,
swallowed up in personal issues, back problems and poor swing thoughts.
Duval missed cut after cut in 2003, drifted from instructor to instructor,
and appeared to be on his way to becoming a footnote in golf history: another
great player, ala Ian Baker-Finch, whose career simply ... vanished. The he
showed up at the U.S. Open, his first appearance of the year. He didn't play
well, but he was buoyed along by well-wishing fans, and his emotional press
conferences were a highlight of the week. He played a few more tournaments,
and started posting some good scores. Then, in early September, he made the
cut at the Deutsche Bank Classic, shooting 67 in the final round to finish
13th. In all, he played nine tournaments in 2004, and made the cut in three.
His nascent comeback appears on track, and it has made Duval one of the most
popular players with fans. We don't know if he'll make it all the way back,
but we're sure cheering for him.

6. Arnold Palmer plays his 50th and final Masters
Perhaps the most emotional scene of 2004 was Arnold Palmer, standing
in the 18th fairway, surrounded by adoring throngs, waiting alone to play
his final approach shot at The Masters. It was Arnie's 50th appearance at
The Masters, one final chance for his Army to march along with him. Because
it was also his last playing appearance at The Masters.

As I wrote in my ranking of the Top 10 Golfers of 2004, we should all
have slumps like Tiger Woods. For most golfers, Tiger's slump year of 2004
would be a career year. But in these matters, Woods is a victim of his own
astounding past success. In 2004, Woods won only once. He hasn't won a
stroke play event in more than a year. He struggled all season with his
driver, missing shots left and right, and mostly just missing fairways.
All the commentary and speculation and psychoanalysis and swing analysis
would make a person think Tiger was having a terrible year. In fact, he
posted 14 Top 10 finishes and wound up fourth on the money list.

4. Europe dominates the Ryder Cup
Can we all agree now to stop calling the U.S. the favorites in every
Ryder Cup? Europe has had the upper hand, overall, for more than a decade
now, and in 2004 handed Team USA its worst Ryder Cup loss ever. All hail
Team Europe! All wail for Team USA, as the hand-writing stateside still
continues.

3. 14-year-old Michelle Wie challenges the cut line at PGA Tour
Sony Open
When Michelle Wie accepted an invitation to play in the PGA Tour
Sony Open, there were a few PGA Tour veterans who publicly expressed
their displeasure (and you can be sure there were many more who expressed
that displeasure privately). Before the tournament, Scott Hoch said that
Wie "... doesn't have a chance in hell of making the cut. She doesn't have
a prayer." Hoch didn't have much to say a few days later after Wie had
beaten him by a stroke. He was right that she wouldn't make the cut,
though: Her 72-68 effort, 140 total, left her a stroke shy of making the
cut. Remember: Wie is a 14-year-old girl, shooting par in a PGA Tour event!
She beat 48 players in the Sony. And she did it averaging 271 yards off
the tee, including three drives of more than 300 yards.

2. Vijay Singh wins nine times on the PGA Tour
Vijay Singh won nine times on the PGA Tour in 2004. Arnold Palmer
never won nine PGA tournaments in one year. Neither did Jack Nicklaus,
Tom Watson, Lee Trevino or most other golf legends. Vijay did it by
playing remarkably well, remarkably consistently, all year long. Among
those nine wins was one major (the PGA Championship). Along the way,
Singh became the first player to earn more than $10 million in one PGA
Tour season (nearly doubling the runner-up's earnings) and took over the
No. 1 spot in the world rankings.

1. Phil Mickelson wins The Masters
"The best player never to win a major" finally won one in 2004, and
it was a thrill to watch. Lefty is one of the most popular players on
the PGA Tour, and despite his greatness he'd come to be cheered as the
underdog. He always seemed in contention at majors, but always seemed to
find a way to come up short. At the 2004 Masters, that changed. Sure,
Mickelson fell behind a charging Ernie Els in the final round. Admit
it - you were thinking, "there goes Phil again," weren't you? We sure
were. And there went Mickelson, hitting some great shots, sinking some
pressure putts to pull into a tie with Els heading to the final tee.
One 20-foot, downhill birdie putt later - one joyous leap into the air,
one exclamation of "I did it! - Mickelson had shed that "never to win a
major" label and provided the indelible image of the 2004 golf season.

http://golf.about.com/od/tourmajorevents/a/top10stories04_2.htm


***
MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION
Ken Devine's Last Hurrah
Ken Devine was a true golf icon in Michigan. He had a long
and storied career in the golf business and then he took on the
Michigan PGA Section. Join Jack Berry as he chats with Ken Devine
about his great career in golf and his rescue of the Michigan PGA
from financial morass.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show16/index.html

Timberstone GC-The Best

We stopped by Timberstone GC a couple of years ago to chat
with head professional Susie Fox. Since that time, Timberstone has
been hailed as one of the great public courses in the United States,
capturing five stars from Golf Digest and of late, the Course of the
Year from the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association. Join us for
two shows, the first with Susie Fox and a short golf tour of Timberstone
and a second, where Susie Fox and Timberstone host the Tom Izzo and
Steve Mariucchi Golf Classic.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2002shows/show25/index.html
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show4/index.html

***
HITTING THE LINKS http://golfthebull.com
This is one of the best websites for a golf course
that I have seen. It is marvelously crafted, informative, functional and
interactive. For those owners that are thinking of changing their
website this year, they would be well served to check this one out. MG

***
BROADBAND UP PRICES DOWN
As prices dropped over the past year, broadband use at home
has surpassed that of dial-up in the United States, reaching
53 percent of residential Web users in October, according to
Nielsen/NetRatings. For now, what people do online hasn't changed
as much as its frequency and duration, although some people are
beginning to make telephone calls on the Internet or use cheap
webcams for video chatting. Surveys from the Pew Internet and
American Life Project find that 69 percent of broadband users go
online on a typical day, compared with 51 percent for dial-up.
Broadband users who went online averaged 107 minutes surfing the
Web, checking e-mail and otherwise engaged, 21 minutes longer than
dial-up users.More.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&ncid=528&e=3&u=/ap/20041221/ap_on_hi_te/ye_broadband_nation

Matt Roush, Great Lakes IT Report


***
Michigan Golf Calendar 2005

JANUARY

01-27-30 PGA Merchandise Show, Orlando, FL
Web: http://pgamerchandiseshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show2/index.html

FEBRUARY

02/04-06 West Michigan Golf Show, DeVos Center, Grand Rapids
http://westmichigangolfshow.com
02/8-12 NGCOA Solutions Summit Conf., Rosen Plaza, Orlando
http://ngcoa.org
02/10-12 Golf Industry Show, Orlando
http://ngcoa.org
02/11-13 London Golf and Travel Show, London, Ontario
Web: http://golf-show.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show3/index.html
02/25-27 Lansing Golf Show, Lansing Center, Lansing
http://michigangolfshow.com

MARCH

03/05 Midland Golf Show, Valley Plaza Resort
03/05-6 Lakeshore Golf Show and Travel Show
Contact: SueNielsen@whitehall.k12.mi.us
03/11-13 Michigan Golf Show, Novi Expo, Novi
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show1/index.html

03/18-20 Chicago Golf Show, Rosemont Center, Rosemont, ILL
Web: http://chicagogolfshow.com

APRIL

04/04-10 Masters, Augusta National GC Augusta, Ga.

MAY

05/01 Jim McLean Golf School Opens, GTRC, Traverse City
05/22-26 15th Annual Spring Conference, World Golf Village,
St. Augustine, Fl
Web: http://wgv.com.

JUNE

06/06 10th Annual and Final Jeff Daniels Comedy Golf Jam, Polo
Fields GC, Ann Arbor
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004/show22/index.html

06/13-19 U.S. Open, Pinehurst Resort & CC Pinehurst, N.C.
06/13 Survivor Golf Outing, Grand Traverse Resort and Casinos
06/20-23 Golf Your Daylights Out, Grand Traverse Resort and Casinos
06/24-26 Pro-Am 2005 Michigan Open-Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Traverse City
06/27-30 2005 Michigan Open-Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Traverse City

JULY

07/01-04 U.S. Women's Open, Orchards GC South Hadley, Mass
07/04-10 Ford Senior Players Championship, TPC of Michigan, Dearborn
http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/s507/
07/11-15 88th Western Junior, Blythefield. C.C. Belmont, MI
http://www.westerngolfassociation.com/
07/11-17 British Open, St. Andrews , St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland
07/14-17 Pro-Am Tournament of Champions, Boyne Mountain, Boyne
07/18-21 Tournament of Champions, Boyne Mountain, Boyne
07/22-24 Pro-Am Michigan PGA Women's Open, Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville
07/25-31 103rd Western Amateur Point O¹Woods G. & C.C. Benton Harbor, Michigan
http://www.westerngolfassociation.com/
07/25-31 Buick Open, Warwick Hills G&CC, Grand Blanc, Mich.

AUGUST

08/05-08 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger,
Highland Meadows GC Sylvania, Ohio
08/08-14 PGA Championship, Baltusrol GC, Springfield, N.J.

08/26-28 Michigan Publinx Senior Open, Pine View GC, Three Rivers
http://pineviewgolf.com ----

MICHIGAN GOLF CALENDAR 2006

09/22-24 The 36th Ryder Cup The K Club in Straffan, Ireland
http://rydercup.com

*** MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS

Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan PGA
http://michigan.pga.com
Michigan Women's Golf Association, MWGA
http://www.mwgolf.org
Michigan State Amateur Golf Association
Dick Loring-skillplay@aol.com
mailto:skillplay@aol.com
Upper Peninsula Golf Association
http://upga.org

***
ASSOCIATION LINKS

American Association of Golf Course Architects
http://asgca.org
Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
http://www.gcsaa.org
Michigan Section PGA
http://www.Michigan.PGA.com
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan High School Athletic Association
http://www.mhsaa.com/
Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association
http://migca.com
National Golf Course Owners Association
http://ngcoa.org
National Golf Foundation
http://ngf.org